Anna Margaretha LEICHNER 1840-?
Christina Heinz, born 7th October 1813 to the farm hand Konrad Heinz IV (b 22/6/1777) and his wife Katharina Elisabetha nee Haffer (b 12/2/1782), had two children to a baker living in Petterweil, near Friedberg. The first was a girl, born illegitimately on 21st October 1840 and christened in the name Anna Margaretha Heinz; the godmother was a daughter of the builder Henrich Leichner of Petterweil-by-Friedberg and Maria Elisabetha nee Will. The father, who was present at the baptism, was said to be the baker’s helper Georg Leichner, son of Wilhelm Leichner dec. and Sophia nee Stoll dec., also of Petterweil.
Christina had a son, born in her parents’ home in Nieder-Weisel, on 21st April 1842. The godfather was Christina’s father and the baby was registered as Konrad Leichner, son of Georg Leichner of Petterweil, baker. (The marriage of the parents did not take place in Nieder-Weisel).
Anna Margaretha was not one of those confirmed in Nieder-Weisel in 1854; presumably she had gone to live in Petterweil. As ‘Margt Leichner 16’, she was aboard “Marco Polo” when it sailed from Liverpool on 5th December 1856 with about 20 migrants from Nieder-Weisel amongst the 269 passengers; none of these seemed to be closely related to Anna Margaretha.
Anna Margaretha Leichner disembarked in Melbourne on the second-last day of February 1857, and disappeared from the Victorian records completely. As she did not marry or die in the colony it must be assumed that she either went back to Germany with some of the many migrants who did so, or moved to another part of Australasia. Her mother’s younger brother was Johann Adam Heinz; he went back to Nieder-Weisel in March 1862. Anna Margaretha may have returned with him or, alternatively, she may have immigrated to New Zealand with one of his twin sons, Wilhelm and Philipp Heinz.